ON DEVELOPMENT THRU ENRICHMENT OF VALUES AND SPIRITUALITY
(DEVS-Part A)
The principal concern of many Filipinos now is how to
sustain the reforms already set in place even after another set of officials
shall take over the administration of the national government less than two
years from now.
On a higher plane, many Filipinos demand that we not only
sustain the reforms already set in place but ensure that we put a stop to the
intertwining culture of corruption, patriarchy and impunity so that we can have
genuine democracy and full respect for the rule of law.
There are on- going discussions on strengthening the
political and economic systems so that we can have genuine peace and order and no
one lives in poverty. Indeed, there is need for a lot of focus on this.
We all see that the so-called economic growth is not
necessarily inclusive of the poor people whose situations have not really
improved due to lack of economic opportunities that will ensure a genuine and sustainable
human development.
There is still so much reliance on the Conditional Cash
Transfer (CCT) such that there is need to further increase its budgetary
allocation for 2015. This is a much-needed bridging solution for the large number
of poor Filipinos to survive and send their children to school.
The process of awakening and empowering the Filipinos is
slowly, but surely, taking place. We see around very dynamic citizens including
many young people participate in various fora articulating various issues to
advance the causes they are pursuing with the interest of the Filipino nation
in mind.
In our discussions at the Transformative Justice Institute
(TJI), we find it very vital that we do not only advocate for changing or
reforming the laws and ensure its enforcement, implementation, observance or
compliance but equally important is that we eliminate the intertwining culture
of patriarchy, corruption and impunity in our midst.
There is need to ensure that people have the right knowledge,
skills and attitudes (KSA) especially those in the leadership position, to transform
their ways, to become truthful and sincere in their sworn duties to serve our
country and our people.
Those in the judiciary, especially the Supreme Court, known
as the last bulwark of democracy, must act as role models in demonstrating uprightness.
It is important that justices and judges are not greedy for money and power.
When people continue to perceive that most of those in the judiciary
are not honest and upright, they lose the trust and confidence reposed on
them not only in this branch of the government but also in the entire system.
Acquiring the right knowledge and skills about the law and
its application for those charged in the administration of justice is not that
difficult. Lawyers formally study substantive as well as procedural laws.
Knowledge and skills can be learned and acquired. But the right attitude must
be embraced. It must be a way of life. This is what is basically lacking and
seen as a gap in the much needed ethical and impartial administration of
justice.
The reason why there is poor and weak administration of
justice is because of the attitudes that bring about the intertwining culture
of corruption, patriarchy and impunity.
The TJI in its training modules on development, deliberately
integrates Development thru Enrichment of Values and Spirituality (DEVS) in all
spheres and dimensions of development. Since we are predominantly a Christian
country we integrate Christian tenets and teachings to remind the trainees
involved in the administration of justice and other fields of development. We
ask each participant in DEVS training on what do they understand about certain
teachings of Jesus Christ our Master, Lord, King and Saviour.
Here are examples of what we integrate in DEVS trainings,
quoting from the Book of Life, the Holy Bible, where Jesus said:
“Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where
thieves and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up
for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and
where thieves do not break in and steal. For where your treasure is, there your
heart will be also” (Matthew 6: 19 to 21).
Further in the same chapter of Matthew, Jesus also said:
“No one can serve two masters. Either he will hate the one
and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You
cannot serve both God and Money” (Matthew 6:24).
In the same Book of Matthew 16, Jesus said to his disciples:
“If anyone would come after me, he must deny himself and
take up his cross and follow me. For whoever wants to save his life will lose
it, but whoever loses his life for me, will find it. What good will it be for a
man if he gains the whole world, yet forfeits his soul? Or what can a man give
in exchange for his soul?” (Matthew 16:24 to 26).
Participants in DEVS trainings always claim that, indeed, it
is important for Filipinos particularly those who profess that they are
Christians or believers and followers of Jesus, to be reminded of the above
teachings. By embracing the same teachings and making them a part of our way of
living will give us strength to avoid temptations including greed for money and power.
Still in the Book of Matthew, Chapter 6 verses 25 to 33,
Jesus is teaching us how to live a good life when He said:
“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what
you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more
important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the
birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your
heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of
you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? And why do you worry about
clothes? See how the lilies of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I
tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of
these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today
and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, O you
of little faith? So do not worry saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we
drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things and
your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and
his righteousness and all these things shall be given to you as well”.
If Judges and Justices, and those tasked in the
administration of justice in the Philippines, most of whom claim to be
Christians or followers of Jesus, heed and embrace the above teachings in their
lives, then we will certainly have a well functioning justice system.
Values and Spirituality are the most important dimensions in
the life of every person to have the right “Attitude”. It is, thus, important to remind our citizens
especially our leaders in all the 3 great branches of our government and most
important of all those in the Judiciary about the teachings of our King, Lord
and Master Jesus Christ.
Part of what we also advocate about DEVS is to encourage our
friends who are cardinals, bishops, priests and nuns to advocate about the
teachings of purgatory. We encourage that similar act done by the Pope with
regard to the none existence of the ‘limbo’, be made, regarding purgatory. I
cited this in the book I wrote entitled “Intertwining Culture of Corruption,
Patriarchy and Impunity: Journey in the Advocacy for the Transformation of the
Philippine Justice System”.
When people believe that after they die they can still move
from purgatory to a better place like heaven or paradise, then, they can really
live corrupt lives and be lovers of money and power thus abusing and oppressing
the poor and the marginalized.
We studied thoroughly the teachings of Jesus in this regard.
The same is very clear in the book of Luke Chapter 16. Jesus told the story
about the Rich Man and Lazarus, clearly indicating where the destination of
those who oppress the poor will be after dying.
For clarity, I am quoting here what Jesus said in Luke
Chapter 16 verses 19 to 31:
“There was a rich man who was dressed in purple and fine
linen and lived in luxury every day. At his gate was laid a beggar named
Lazarus, covered with sores and longing to eat what fell from the rich man’s
table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores.
The time came when the beggar died and the angels carried
him to Abraham’s side. The rich man also died and was buried. In hell, where he
was in torment, he looked up and saw Abraham far away, with Lazarus by his
side. So he called to him, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me and send Lazarus to
dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue, because I am in agony in
this fire.’
But Abraham replied, ‘Son remember that in your lifetime you
received your good things, while Lazarus received bad things, but now he is
comforted here and you are in agony. And besides all this, between us and you a
great chasm has been fixed, so that those who want to go from here to you
cannot, nor anyone cross over from there to us.
He answered, ‘Then I beg you, father, send Lazarus to my
father’s house, for I have five brothers. Let him warn them, so that they will
not also come to this place of torment’.
Abraham replied ‘ They have Moses and the Prophets; let them
listen to them’.
‘No father Abraham, he said, but if someone from the dead
goes to them, they will repent’.
“He said to him. ‘If they do not listen to Moses and the
Prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead’.”
We, at the TJI, believe that when those who commit acts of
abuses and corruption especially those who oppress the poor and marginalized,
continue to just amass wealth and by crooked means remain in power, or distort
the administration of justice, will know, by heart, the teachings of Jesus;
they may still change and transform. Zaccheus and the
Prodigal Son are good examples.
We shall feature more teachings of Jesus which we integrate
in our development trainings on our next post.
In the Beatitudes in Matthew Chapter 5 verses 11 and 12
Jesus said:
“Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and
falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. Rejoice and be glad,
because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the
prophets who were before you”.
Note that the Bible quotes here are lifted from the New International
Version (NIV) of the Zondervan Bible Publishers.
Dory Cruz Avisado
8-26-14
